Happy eating: Spelt and spinach crepes with avocado

These crêpes will always have a special place in my heart as I had such a sense of achievement the first time I made them. My kitchen felt very happy indeed. They take about 15 minutes to create, so are great if you are starving and want something quick and fresh for breakfast, lunch or a light dinner. Spinach is a source of iron – remember Popeye. Spelt provides steady energy and, though once a rarity, is now widely stocked in supermarkets. Other wholegrain flours work well, too. This recipe is filling and keeps you going all morning. I like the green crêpe effect, but you don’t have to add the spinach to the batter. If you prefer, you can pop it inside the crêpe at the end with the avocado and smoked salmon. Spice up the filling by adding whatever takes your fancy: I am a fan of wasabi, an elusive Japanese root that grows next to highland mountain streams. It takes two years to reach maturity and is perishable, and therefore expensive to ship, so most of the wasabi paste you buy is in fact based on our more homespun horseradish. Either way, the stuff sets your nasal passages off in the same way as mustard and horseradish.

SERVES 2

120g wholegrain flour, such as spelt, buckwheat or brown rice

2 eggs

80g fresh spinach leaves, washed

300ml milk, either cow’s or a dairy-free option – sugar-free almond works well

½ teaspoon wasabi (optional)

4 teaspoons oil

1 ripe avocado

150g smoked salmon

1 Put the flour, eggs, spinach leaves, milk and wasabi in a food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes to make the batter. It should be slightly green from the spinach and the colour may intensify over time. If you don’t have a food processor, leave the spinach out and add it to the dish later, and blend the mixture using a hand whisk.

2 Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a medium nonstick pan and put a quarter of the batter in, shaking the pan so the batter evens out: it should be around 5mm thick. We like olive or coconut oil but use whatever you prefer.

3 Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side. It should be obvious when the crêpe is ready to be flipped as it will start to come away from the pan. Repeat the process to make 3 more.

4 Mash or slice the avocado and place some on each crêpe along with a slice or two of smoked salmon. If you left the spinach out of the batter, put this on top. Fold the crêpe in half.